RESUMO
It is evident that HBV infection is quite prevalent in Egypt and is a public health problem. This study was conducted on a group of pesticide applicators from different Egyptian governorates: 159 Subjects from upper Egypt [South]. 152 Subjects from lower Egypt [North], and 87 Subjects as control. Hepatitis B seromarkers [HBsAg, anti-HBc and anti-HBs] were detected by using ELISA technique, besides doing some liver function tests [SGOt, SGPT and S. Cholinesterase]. Abdominal ultrasonography was done for 246 subjects to evaluate thickness of portal tracts [hepatic schistosomiasis] and the other echo pattern of the liver. The frequency of carriers [HBsAg] was 7.4%; immune [antiHBs and anti-HBc] was 51%, remote post exposure [anti-HBs] was 13.8%. and window phase [anti-HBc] was 7.7%.Results showed that both the carrier infection rates increased with age between 20-39 years, however, the rates decreased with ages >40 years. The carrier rate among bilharzial liver cases [57.89%] was higher than in non-bilharzial liver cases [12.11%]. On the other hand, the infection rate was higher in non-bilharzial liver cases [54.64%] than in bilharzial liver cases. The percent of coarse liver pattern [by ECHO] among carriers [10.53%] was higher than that for the non-infected subjects [2.27%]. This denotes the pathological effect of hepatitis B virus on the liver